Of course I mean my... tally marks. And I have a special place for yours. Do you want to see where?

— Victor Zsasz

”

“

This patient will be hard to cure

— Batman

”

A true sociopath, Victor Zsasz grew up in a life of ease, but nonetheless became a serial killer. Indiscriminate in his prey, body count was the only thing that mattered to Zsasz. He took pleasure in arranging the corpses of his victims in life-like poses before carving a mark for each of his victims into his own body. He was saving a special spot for Batman. Above all else, Zsasz represented what Batman hated most – pure, unadulterated and remorseless evil.

Before The Joker's takeover of the asylum, Zsasz escaped Arkham and kidnapped Dr. Cassidy. He brought her to the Old County Hospital, where he planned to "liberate" her. Batman, however, managed to track the killer down and stopped him, and saved Dr. Cassidy's life. Zsasz was put back into Arkham Asylum, just in time for The Joker's arrival.

During the Joker's takeover of Arkham, Zsasz was let loose from his cell in the Intensive Treatment Center. Running free, he encountered two Arkham security guards in the Patient Pacification Chamber. After killing one guard who tried to stop him, he took hold of another guard named Mike, and strapped him to the electric chair.

A third guard, Zach Franklin, came across Zsasz, and sounded the alarm, requesting backup on the radio. At least three more guards responded to the alarm and arrived with Dr. Gretchen Whistler, Zsasz's personal therapist. He warned that he would kill Mike if he saw "anything that looked even a little bit like a bat" getting too close while the guards attempted to talk him down. Zach Franklin and another guard stood barred at the entryway to the Pacification area, but were able to see Zsasz pacing behind his hostage in the electroshock chair. Franklin tried to call for more backup in the Processing Corridor in dealing with the hostage situation, but found no answer on the radio, as most of the other guards in the vicinity had been murdered by the Joker after his escape through the area.

A surviving guard, Eddie Burlow, picked up the call near the door to the Decontamination Chamber, but was unable to respond. He directed Batman to the Patient Pacification Chamber. Batman arrived on the scene and met Zach Franklin, who informed him of the situation. Batman used the chamber balcony and grappled behind Zsasz on the gargoyles that lined the top of the room. He snuck up on Zsasz, took him out, and left him back in the care of Dr. Whistler and the Arkham staff. He warned Dr. Whistler that it would take much time before Zsasz could be cured, if he could be cured at all. Soon after, Harley Quinn trapped the Arkham staff in the Pacification Chamber. One of the security personnel covered Zsasz with his shotgun to prevent any escape.

A security guard covered Zsasz with his shotgun to prevent escape after his defeat by Batman in the Patient Pacification Chamber.

Zsasz somehow escaped once again, and killed three security guards above the Penitentiary in Arkham West. He then proceeded to prop them up like rag dolls around a table as if they were enjoying a game of cards. After the Joker's men had taken control of the Penitentiary, Zsasz proceeded to the heavily-guarded Arkham East.

While the Joker's men wrestled the area from the guards, Zsasz invaded the Botanical Gardens. He entered the Glasshouse Entrance, where he encountered three more members of security at the doorway to the Botanical Glasshouse. Zsasz murdered two of them, and arranged the dead guards in a lifelike pose around a park bench. After killing several more Arkham staff, Zsasz scratched out the tallies of his kills onto the bench. Shortly after, the Joker came across Zsasz in the Glasshouse Entrance with his latest victims. ("No doubt acting out some twisted fantasy", according to Joker) The Clown Prince of Crime took Zsasz to the Arkham Mansion after his men had captured Dr. Penelope Young in the Library, and planned to torture the Titan formula out of her.

Zsasz asked to be left alone with Young and successfully forced the secret out of her. Batman searched the mansion until he came across Zsasz, who was holding Dr. Young hostage in the Warden's Office with a knife to her throat. The Joker, contacting Zsasz via a monitor, tried to convince Zsasz to hurry up and kill her. Zsasz began to panic as he knew Batman would take him down if he did just that, but he was also torn by his desire to kill her, slowly savoring her fright and saying that she was "just begging to be slaughtered". Before he could make a decision, Batman knocked him out with a Batarang to his head.

Dr. Young was driven to tears while Zsasz had held her hostage and nearly killed her. She beat his unconscious body angrily, and yelled at him "You monster! You evil, evil, evil monster!", while still crying. After Young was killed by an explosive that set in the Warden's safe by Joker and Harley Quinn set her goons on Batman, Zsasz disappeared, which suggested that he had escaped during the chaos, as no guards had arrived to detain him.

His final appearance was in Batman's hallucination of a replay of the game's opening sequence caused by Scarecrow's Fear Toxin. Batman was placed in the captured position, with Joker capturing him, and Zsasz among the Arkham inmates escorting Batman in the patient handcart. After this, Zsasz had no further appearance in the game and his status remained unknown.

Zsasz was briefly mentioned by Hugo Strange as an inmate. Zsasz was intentionally, but anonymously, released so that TYGER could recapture him in order to boost Arkham City's credit as a safe prison. At some point after Arkham City was founded, The Penguin captured him and placed him in one of his trophy cases in the Museum. He then escaped sometime before Bruce Wayne was imprisoned in Arkham City.

— Zsasz speaking to Batman during the Cold Caller Killer Side Mission in Arkham City

”

Zsasz imprisoned in his own cell by Batman in his hideout at the Industrial District in Arkham City

Victor Zsasz kidnapped three Political Prisoners in Arkham City. He threatened to kill them unless Batman could answer a ringing phone, race across Arkham City, and pick up another ringing phone. He repeated this process until Batman was able to break through his encrypted signal and track him down to an abandoned building in the Industrial District. Batman then had to navigate through the building in order to get close to Zsasz, who had already killed one of the hostages.

As Batman made his way through, Zsasz was attempting to make another call to him. Once Zsasz was taken down, Batman locked him up in his own cage and let the remaining two prisoners free.

His true status remains unknown, though it is safe to assume Zsasz was arrested and put into custody when the G.C.P.D. stormed the mega prison if he was still locked up in his cage in his hideout (which is very likely).

In Arkham Knight, Batman can see Victor in a recording showing Oracle's kidnapping. He seems to look the same as he did in Arkham City. It is also revealed through a City Story that Zsasz has been active in Gotham and has resumed his killings and Batman stumbles across three of his victims posed near Wayne Tower under a bridge. Zsasz is revealed to still want to kill Batman but is willing to wait for his moment.

Police records about Zsasz say that he is an insane serial killer. He poses his victims in a lifelike manner, and after each murder he cuts a tally mark into his skin. He is obsessed with gaining more marks, despite the increasing lack of room, and he saves a special place for the mark of Batman's life.

"A Psychopath, Zsasz would fit perfectly into the disorganized asocial category of serial killer if not for his special fixation on the Batman. His motives are power and control, which he expresses quite literally by carving a scar into his skin to mark each of his victims. His obsession with the Batman is also manifested in a physical way: He is saving a special spot to scar when he kills the Dark Knight."

Additional Notes"It's rare than a asocial serial killer motivated by control would have no history of childhood trauma; the exact reason for Zsasz's behavior remain a mystery."

"His low IQ further hampers my attempts to treat him. He spent hours at a time ritualistically counting the marks in his skin."

There is no doubt that the world would be a safer place without Victor Zsasz, but why send him to the electric chair when he can serve to punish his fellow inmates at Arkham City? Zsasz's blood-lust continues unabated and rules his every action. Personnel are cautioned to avoid any form of contact with this enthusiastic and consummate murderer.

"In the flesh. I'm so happy you remembered me. I'll never forget you. I've got a special game planned, Batman. A game just for you. Ring, ring."

"Oh, Batman. You sound impatient. That is good. That is very good. You'll need that to solve my little game."

"You may have heard that I've been providing salvation to the mindless drones lucky enough to answer my calls." (Arkham City Inmates)

"That's just a question of perspective. For example, from where I'm standing, I can see three little piggies just waiting for me to cure them of life. From their perspective, I'd imagine they see things differently." (Political Prisoners)

"I bet you will. But first, a little game. Right now, somewhere in Arkham City, there is a phone ringing. I know, it's a big place, but you need to find it. Take too long and I kill these piggies." (Political Prisoners)

"And don't try anything clever. I had a friend help me bounce this signal through every relay from here to Bludhaven. You'll never find me."

"Now, hang up that phone and start running. Ring, ring. Ring, ring."

"Please hold for Mr. Zsasz. I'm sorry, he's not available right now. You need to find the phone."

"My flesh is crying out, Batman. Can you find my phone or will I have my fun?"

"Your life is over. Accept it and prepare yourselves to sink into the oblivion of nothing." (Political Prisoners)

"I cannot describe with mere words the joy I feel as I make that mark into my flesh." (Political Prisoners)

"You are probably praying I will end your lives quickly. I won't." (Political Prisoners)

"Your entire lives have been accelerating to this point." (Political Prisoners)

"My body is a temple dedicated to your memory." (Political Prisoners)

"Can you feel the time approaching, little pigs?" (Political Prisoners)

"Oh, this is a glorious day for you to die on." (Political Prisoners)

"Soon, I will carve your life on my arm." (Political Prisoners)

"You...you I will gut like a fish." (Political Prisoner)

"This is all too much fun isn't it, piggies? I'm enjoying myself so much I nearly forgot to give Batman another call." (Political Prisoners)

"C'mon, Batman. Where are you?"

"Don't worry. He'll fail. Maybe this time, maybe the next." (Batman)

"I can see it now. He's running for that phone. Desperately trying to reach it in time to keep you all alive." (Batman)

"This game isn't over." (Batman)

"Maybe he doesn't believe I'm going to kill you all?" (Batman)

"I'm losing my patience. Pick up already." (Batman)

"Pick up the phone, Bat." (Batman)

"This is not over. It cannot be over. My blade will bathe in the crimson rivers of blood that will pour from the holes I cut into your body. You cannot deny me the mark. I need to make the mark. It's all I have left." (After Batman takes down Zsasz with a glass window takedown)

"You are going to be mine. When you least expect it I will be there, cutting the flesh from your body, watching as your life slips away." (After being taken down by Batman)

"I saved a special place for you, Batman. A place to symbolize your death. Do you want to see?" (After being taken down by Batman)

"This won't end here. I will get out of here and continue my work." (After being taken down by Batman)

If the player took too long to rescue Dr. Young, Zsasz would eventually decide to kill her, thus causing the mission to be failed and bringing up a special Joker message in which he sarcastically announced "Now that was unexpected! Who'd have figured the deranged murderer would kill the poor little doctor?"

During Batman's first encounter with Zsasz there were actually many different ways to take him down:

1: The player could perform a Glide Kick followed by a Ground Takedown.

2: The player could simply drop to the ground and knock him out from behind with a combo.

3: The player could drop down and perform a Silent Takedown.

4: Additionally the player could very easily knock Zsasz around the room and as long as they don't give him enough time in between hits to push the trigger, they would not fail the mission. Sometimes, Zsasz would actually try to fight back with his knives much like in the Combat Challenge Maps. One particularly interesting way to defeat Zsasz was to use the Cape Stun attack on him repeatedly in order to push him around the room and into the electric barrier that barred your initial entrance into the room and the guards. However, no matter where Zsasz fell after the cutscene, his body would reappear next to the electric chair on the ground unconscious.

Zsasz appeared as sort of a 'boss' enemy in many Combat Challenge Maps. He fought like a common knife enemy among the High Security Henchmen though he used two knives instead of 1 like a regular High Security henchman, but the taunts made were in his voice particularly. He appeared in the final round of the Combat Challenge Maps only.

All of the main enemies in the game have game over messages if you lose in the places that they were the main target. Zsasz, however, was the only enemy not to have a special message. Instead, Joker played his messages if you lost during Zsasz's level.

Zsasz's incessant need to kill other people was often questioned and ridiculed by other inmates and prisoners. But there were also those that were intimidated by Zsasz because of this tendency.

Zsasz had a display case in the Museum in Arkham City. The glass front was smashed from his escape.

As Zsasz had his own set of weapons as seen in the Gallery. Zsasz may have had more ways of killing his victims than with just his knife.

The spot saved for Batman was unknown, though many had mistakenly believed that it was the inside of his left eyelid - that spot was actually saved for Jeremiah Arkham. It was likely his forehead, as the large tally mark was not complete.

During the Cold Call Killer Side Mission phone conversation Zsasz recalled a poker game with the Penguin, he had four 6's while the Penguin had a 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. That made five 6's, which was not a very fair game. However, it was possible that they were playing the Texas Hold'em variation of the game.

Zsasz was not the one who smashed Penguin's eye into a bottle. In Penguin's last Interview Tape, he said that the person had taken his eye lost both of his and tried to walk across the freeway at rush hour.

In Zsasz's hideout, he could kill the hostages if he saw or heard Batman.